


Colour Negative

by Lauriel (InfiniteHazelnut)



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Billa is her own woman and doesn't need no shit from you, Dwalin and Ori are also slow burn but adorable, F/F, F/M, Female Bilbo, Female Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Female Dori, Female Dwalin, Female Fíli, Female Ori, Filming, Friendship, Genderbending, Humor, M/M, Romance, Rule 63, Slow Build, Thorin is a dick, hehe awkward romance on screen and off, more tags to come as plot is revealed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:58:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2067300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteHazelnut/pseuds/Lauriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Through underhanded actions and carefully crafted schemes, Smaug acquired <em>Erebor</em>, the brilliant script and story written by Thrain Durinson. Now, as the deadline for the movie rights draws near, Thorin and his company need to take this opportunity to make the movie and acquire the rights before Smaug finds out. </p><p>But what they need is the best actress to bring the heroine of <em>Erebor</em> to life. Gandalf insists he's found the perfect person for the role. Who else would fit the job better than Billa Baggins whose career revolved around her family’s flower shop?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unexpected Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> "A negative is an image, usually on a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film, in which the lightest areas of the photographed subject appear darkest and the darkest areas appear lightest. "

      In the morning of a quiet neighbourhood, a warm glow stretched along the brick walls, zigzagging along the mortar. The light chased the shadows, banishing them to corners and crooks of alleyways. The streets were empty and comfortably silent, only occasionally interrupted by sweet song birds. There was hardly anyone up at this time as it was just the beginning of a Saturday. Most were beneath warm covers, wrapped in sweet dreams and restfulness.  Joggers made their early rounds around the neighbourhood, with their happy dogs in tow.

      However, none of these cases applied to a petite woman, who was making her own noise as she moved panting and puffing in and out of her flower shop with boxes in her arms. Now, the exterior of the shop was not anything ostentatious. If you were late to work, speed walking down the street, the shop would be just another blur you pass by. There were no flashy lights glowing white or red, or big words that scream "SALE” at potential customers. The windows were not scrubbed sparkling clean so that they gleam and sparkle from the sun.

      Instead, the shop was faded beige, accentuated by a green round wooden door which was a little worn and chipped in some places. Two warm oak windows surrounded the door, allowing sun and occasional curious glances into the building. A scuffed welcome mat at the doorstep indicated the shop was well visited and the smell of freshly brewed coffee enticed people to enter the homey shop.

     Once inside, you can see that in a corner of the shop, there was a decent sitting area with multiple cushioned seats and a small coffee table. And if that didn't persuade those who were on the edge of entering the shop, a plate of homemade cookies and coffee laid right in the middle of the table would melt the last of their resistance.

      If the exterior was labeled as a little plain, the interior was a whole other world. The most remarkable thing about this shop wasn't the cozy appearance or the tempting smell of caffeine and cookies; it was the brilliant flowers and plants that covered the majority of the space within. There were vines crawling up the wall, creating nature's unique art across the blank canvas. The flowers turned towards the windows, reaching for the skylight and basking in the warm rays.

      Everything looked organized enough, and if there were any empty spots, they were about to be occupied soon enough, by the looks of what the woman carried in her arms.

      She was accomplishing the impossible, juggling various pots of flowers and plants which teetered haphazardly as she moved outside her store. As unstable and wobbly her pile looked, nothing slipped from her firm grasp. One plant at a time, she carefully filled in the gaps, creating a sea of warm colours which outmatched any beautiful summer day.

      Miss Billa Baggins of Bag End Flowers Shop straightened from her crouched position as she placed the last pot down, rubbing her dirt stained fingers on her apron while letting out a rather large sigh. She stared at the assortment of pinks, purples and reds, unconsciously scratching her nose while leaving a dirt smudge at the tip.  After a long moment of concentrated staring, she furrowed her brows and huffed in exasperation.

      "Now Billa, think..." She muttered, eyes glancing over her proud possessions. "You've taken over this shop for the last seven years; this should be as easy as breathing by now."

      After her father passed on, the shop belonged to her lovely mother, Belladonna. It was in her mother’s care for about four years prior, when Belladonna joined her husband in the afterlife. As the result of her death, the shop had been handed down to Billa as she was the only child of her family. If it were anyone else living in the fast-paced world, owning a flower shop wouldn't seem like glamorous work. She would never become a billionaire or gain international fame by selling flowers. But this shop was the product of the Baggins, made from her family’s hard work and love. In fact, she was surprised her mother held on for those years, lasting long enough to teach everything she knew about this green world to Billa. Her mother and father were hardly ever apart. Her mother always said she would follow him no matter where he went and at the end, although a little delayed, she did.

      Her father, Bungo Baggins, had renovated this little shop for Belladonna as part of his proposal. Billa remembered seeing pictures of how the shop looked like before, and it was really not a pretty sight. To put it nicely, it was a dingy and shady hole in the wall. But one compliment from Belladonna on the potential of the location and Bungo had his mind made up. He immediately bought the property and worked on the shop on his own time, outside of his construction company.

      When Belladonna realized someone had started to work on the shabby shop, she relayed the information to Bungo with a longing sigh and with disappointment in her voice, never suspecting that Bungo was the mysterious culprit. There were many nights where he was late coming home from working on the shop and Belladonna would have to endure through his horrible fibs and excuses while avoiding her questions.

      Billa could remember her mother scoffing every time she told this part of the tale. Her mother would roll her eyes and say, “your father was absolutely rubbish at lying; using the excuse of falling into a sawdust pile way too many times. Oh! One night, he even managed to say he was off swimming and when I pointed out that he hated swimming, he just grumbled and made some comment that I remembered wrong! That daft old man. I knew he was working on some sort of project, but never in my life could I have guessed it was the flower shop.” She would end up saying fondly.

      After some months, Bungo showed up at her door in his best suit and with a nervous smile, tentatively taking out a blindfold from his coat pocket with rough and calloused fingers. With some teasing from her part and stuttering on his, he took them out to the renovated shop. He sat her down in a chair inside and pulled off her blindfold to reveal the charming shop with candles and flowers in every corner. With sweaty palms and a dry throat, he proposed in the soft glow of the flickering lights and the sweet smell of blooms in the room.

      Belladonna joyously agreed, later admitting that she would have agreed whole-heartedly even if he didn't make the grand gesture. They were so in love with each other that it was no wonder why Bag End continued to strive after all those years. Their understanding of each other and different personalities brought success to their shop. Belladonna with her love for plants and artistic mind brought many customers from all over the city. Bungo with his construction and finance knowledge kept the shop running in one piece. When Billa was born, they brought her to the shop every day and watched her grow just like the many plants and flowers within the shop. Every dent, scratch or broken piece of the shop had a memory attached to it, vast majority of them fond recollections of a sweeter time. Billa wouldn't have chosen any other job in the world.

      "Perhaps a little yellow would complete the picture?" a grumbling voice appearing from behind, jarring Billa from her thoughts.

      She flinched in surprise, and let out a very unfeminine holler as she whirled around to face the intruder. Fueled by the adrenaline from her surprise, her hand grabbed a tiny spade as a make-shift weapon. Unfortunately, with her luck, Billa tripped over her own feet and became terribly off balance. Arms flailing like a dysfunctional windmill, she fought hard to keep upright. Her only saving grace was when the man grabbed her by her arm and pulled her from the danger of falling into her carefully placed flowers. When it was clear that she had her balance back, he retracted his hand back into his suit pocket.

     Taking rapid breaths, she held one hand over her thudding heart and the other lingered foolishly in the air still tightly clutching the spade as she stared incredulously at the man who she now noticed was quite old. 

     "B-Beg your pardon?" she stuttered, noting that the man had the audacity to smile even after the scare he gave her. It usually takes more than a little surprise make her lose her composure, but a sudden voice at seven in the morning in a place where the only sounds were birds and her own breaths would do the trick.

     "Well you were thinking about what was missing from your display of art, were you not? Some yellow daffodils would fit the bill perfectly - allows some spark in your arrangement wouldn’t you say?" The older man mused, tapping his black walking stick on the ground a couple of times as if to confirm his suggestion. She didn’t miss the amused glance at the “weapon” she held in her hand.

      Billa cleared her dry throat as she followed his gaze and lowered the spade, mentally recovering from her slip. She straightened her back in preparation to reprimand the stranger, but she was taken aback when she found herself being ambushed by a handkerchief, scrubbing at her nose. But as she moved to swat his hand away, he withdrew it as quickly as it appeared.

      "There was a bit of dirt on your nose, dear.” He replied to her unasked question, glee sparkling in his eyes.

      “ _Oh bugger all_ ” she thought, now scrubbing at her own nose with a little bit of embarrassment and a lot more annoyance. Her eyes narrowed and a snappy remark was on the tip of her tongue.

      “Of course I must apologize for the suddenness of my appearance—in fact, let’s start off right by me saying 'Good morning Miss Baggins'." The old man smiled warmly, offering his wrinkly hand to Billa.

      Any notion of scolding slipped from her mind, taken aback by the unexpected politeness. Her father's insistence on good manners dispelled any lingering desire to retort maliciously. Taking a calming breath, she took up his offer and shook his outstretched hand firmly (although her grip might have been tighter side, but nobody’s keeping track).

    "Uh yes, good morning…. Mister?"

    "Hm?" He hummed out quizzically, releasing her hand to push the blue fedora up on his head. "Mister? Oh! Ah yes, me. Mister Stormcrow if you must. But yes it is a very good morning; a good morning in all sense is it not?" He ended with a deep chuckle, laughing at a joke that was not at all obvious to Billa.

      Billa observed the man with the grey suit and black walking stick. He was not a usual customer, and not at all dressed like the elderly men in her neighbourhood. Not like the old men she’d seen who didn't give a thought for their looks, with their barely combed hair. In fact, this man’s long grey hair was neatly combed and tied back in a fashionable ponytail and his grey beard was skillfully trimmed. Judging from the quality of his expensive looking suit, he was clearly not from her neighbourhood and probably lived closer to the heart of the city.

      A business-man, she decided firmly in her head.

      However, the creases from his smile softened his features, making him appear as gentle and kind as others of his age. The easy manner with which he carried himself reduced her suspicions and annoyance, even going as far as to coax a smile from her.

      There was a moment of silence as his chuckle tapered off, neither of them speaking a word. He continued to smile though, staring down at her like he was observing every detail and categorizing whether it was a fault or virtue. In fact, if Billa stared into his eyes longer (which she didn't because she was a little shoddy at keeping eye contact for long periods of time), she would have seen his eyes narrow as he noticed her timidity. Billa shuffled her feet, growing more uncomfortable once the silence lingered on a little too long. She began to say that she should continue on with her preparations, but the old man seemed to have a knack for interrupting anything she wanted to express.

      "Ah young Miss Billa. I haven't seen you since you were a child; ducking in and out of plants, playing with the insects, making flower crowns and pretending you were the queen of the world." He waved his walking stick in the general direction towards the inside of the shop.

      "I remember you making me a lovely daisy flower crown and knighting me with a long branch." He rumbled with amusement, his eyes twinkling as he relived his memories.

      "What was it now? Sir Stormcrow of the Undying Lands?"

       Billa narrowed her eyes in suspicion, taking a small step forward while peering at the man under the hat. Although she did not want to sound too impolite, she couldn't remember him or any of the childhood memories he mentioned. Well actually, Billa grudging admitted to herself, she remembered doing similar acts as a child, but she had no recollection of meeting him.

      "I'm sorry Mister Stormcrow, but I honestly don't remember you." Billa stated with a slight frown on her face.

      At that, his smile gradually dropped and she saw him annoyed for the first time since she met him.

     "Don't remember me?" He grunted, almost sounding like a disgruntled dog for a split second. "To think Belladonna's child not remembering who I am and treating me like a random salesman hustling for attention. I am Gandalf, Gandalf Stormcrow!"

      Billa stared uncertainly at the man, mulling over the name before a slow spark of recollection appeared in her mind. A faint memory of a man with fewer grey streaks in his hair and fewer wrinkles giving her the most delicious candy grew clearer as that spark ignited.  

     "Gandalf…. Oh Gandalf!" A slow smile graced her face and it gradually grew into a beaming one.

     "Not the kind gentleman that always had sweets in his pockets! And the one who would tell me stories of the places he had seen and adventures he had taken! The one that would come every couple of weeks to buy great lilies, snapdragons and laburnums from my mother!" She exclaimed with joy, seeing the man in a different light.

      Gandalf straightened his back and the frown was once more replaced with a warm grin, content that she finally had some recollection of him.

      "Well I'm glad you remember something about me." He grumbled while looking away, though his tone was lighter than before. His attention got caught by a bright flower to his right and he took his time to lean forward to smell the blooming flower.

      Billa watched him, not quite sure how to respond to his retort. Once again, the silence between them reappeared as neither party spoke. She realized now that he had a tendency of either rambling and interrupting her words or quietly standing like a statue. He did look older now that she had the time to really observe him. He had deeper creases around his eyes and forehead, age spots here and there. He was still as tall as she remembered, although there was a slight bent in his back as he leaned on his walking stick. But his eyes were still as warm and inviting as before, the sparkling gleam never faded.

     "Well Gandalf, how can I help you today? It's most random that you suddenly popped by when you stopped coming many years ago." Billa finally spoke when she had had enough of the silence. There was only so much she could take before she started being a bit impatient. She was already behind schedule and she could basically see the seconds flying by as the sun rose higher into the sky.

      Gandalf seemed distracted and he clearly didn’t give any thought towards her question as he picked up a pot from the ground and brought it up to his eye level.

     "A sycamore sapling. Sturdy trees aren't they?" He mused. “Your mother always thought this plant represented her best. 'Sycamore! Strong and curious, a plant after my own heart' dear Belladonna would always say.” He trailed off, watching the sapling as he slowly turned the pot. Billa found herself absently watching it as well, her mind drifting to her first image in her head- her mother’s joyful face when she laughed.

     “And which flowers or plants would you say represent you best?” Gandalf asked after a couple of minutes of reflection, his eyes sliding to the side as he glanced at her slyly.

     “Which ones would embody your own heart?”

      Still thinking that she should be doing something more productive than playing hypothetical games with Gandalf, Billa gave in. She completely missed the analytical glance he gave her as she looked back into her store of assorted flora.

      She never really gave this question a thought before, which seemed odd as she knew almost all the different meanings each flower or plant in the store. What could she say? She spent that knowledge helping others express their needs, not on herself.

      Naturally, a couple of plants did pop into her mind and she found herself walking back into her shop with Gandalf trailing after her. He watched her as she confidently walked among the plants. She was completely in her element, weaving around pots and vases, absently picking up certain plants and flowers. Gandalf followed her to a certain extent until they passed the sitting area, which was where he decided to stray off to.

      Billa returned to the sitting area after a moment, her hands carrying a couple of plants. She found Gandalf settled on her favourite chair, happily munching on one of the cookies she laid out on the table. In his other hand was a freshly poured cup of coffee, black as it can be. Carefully she laid out her plants she had chosen, naming each as she placed them on the table.

      "Milkworts, Colchicum for flowers..." She started off saying loudly, but with each plant, she noticed his expression becoming darker. "And a Birch sapling if you must demand of me to pick a tree like my mother" she finished off tentatively, her words trailing as she took in his expression.

       Gandalf looked up from the plants with some disappointment that made her feel like she was a child again, hiding from her parents' knowing gaze. " _Infuriating man..._ " She thought, lowering her eyes to an interesting stain on her couch that seemed to be new. Part of her couldn't help herself as she started thinking of what cleaning products to use to remove it.

       Gandalf calmly took a sip of his drink, brushed off the crumbs collected in his beard and shirt before standing up. With large strides, he walked past her, causing Billa to hastily take a step back to avoid being bumped into. He headed straight into the maze of plants, his grey figure disappearing into a sea of green.

        Billa stood in her spot, a little miffed at his abrupt departure. But she couldn't help feeling a little confused at why he was behaving like this. She literally just brought him some plants that wouldn't mean anything to him. Her gaze lingered on the three plants and she suddenly had a feeling that Gandalf was more knowledgeable than she had taken him for. A rustling sound came from her side as she snapped her attention back to the man coming out of the leaves with his own pots of plants. Curious at what he decided to bring, she stepped aside well ahead of time to give him the space to place the pots down.

        "Black Poplar, Pink Dianthus and an Oak sapling." He stated loudly as he laid them down alongside the others. He really didn’t have to announce their names as she knew them from the first glance. It was an odd combination for sure, not the best looking arrangement. However judging by the way he was staring at her expectedly, an appealing arrangement wasn't on his mind.

        "I believe these plants suit you better dear Billa Baggins." She took another glance at the plants, running their names through her head while connecting meanings to each of them. Catching the meaning, she glanced up shyly, a light sprinkle of pink of her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she gave him proper smile.

       "Noted. Perhaps with some disagreement, but appreciated."

        He returned the smile readily with affection.

       "Yes, yes. You will do well with my plans indeed." He said softly, but it seemed to be more to himself than Billa. She raised her eyebrows questionably.  

       "Erm, do well in what plans?"

        Gandalf leaned over to the couch and grabbed his jacket from the arm and draped it over his own.

       "Billa, do you know of the Lemon-scented Geraniums?" He said suddenly, ignoring her previous comment. She found herself looking around the shop until her gaze focused onto a spot.

       "Uh yes, I do. You're lucky, I just got a batch of these yesterday."

        He nodded happily before he started putting on his jacket.

       "Very lovely. I shall order one please, the biggest one if possible. Place it outside of your shop for the best amount of sun, I won't accept any less. I will pick it up in three days."

        Billa nodded, reaching into her pocket and brought out a hand sized notebook. She flipped it open with practice and appeared to snatch a pencil from behind her ear. Jotting down some quick notes, she found herself almost missing her chance to express her thanks as Gandalf was already halfway out of her store door. Fumbling, she quickly shoved everything in her pocket and sprinted after him.

      "Thank you Gandalf, it's nice doing business with you." She called after him. The grey figure stopped to turn around, smiling again. His hand tucked into his inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small card. Walking back a couple of steps, he gave it to her with a wink. He turned on his heels and started walking away.

      "Do place that with the plant, preferably where people can see it. I don't want anyone claiming it to be their own." He shouted as he walked and started whistling his own tune moments after.

       Billa looked down at his card while she walked slowly back into her store, turning it around. It was quite nice, very minimalistic but professional. On one side was the letter 'G' written in fancy calligraphy, on the other side had his business number as well has his full name. However, it did not mention his position or what sort of business he conducted. Billa found that strange as it defeats the whole purpose of a 'business card'. She hummed nonchalantly as she decided to get his order ready. Business was still business no matter how odd the customer is.

      She went to the spot where her geraniums were and confidently picked the biggest one she found. Plucking it from the bunch, she carried it out to a nice spot right outside her store door and settled it nicely. The flowers were not in bloom yet, as they did just arrive the day before. But if the weather was nice, and the plant was well watered, she didn't see why it wouldn't bloom in a week. Billa took Gandalf's card and positioned it on the plant with the G facing outward. Satisfied it wouldn't be knocked away easily, she found herself in the same position as she was before her guest interrupted her. She brushed a stray curl that escaped her messy bun as she mentally browsed through her catalog of plant meanings until she remembered what Gandalf's chosen plant was.

      "Unexpected meeting." She thought out loud. A rueful smile passed her lips as she shook her head a little, almost not able to believe this was a coincidence. Her gaze swept out over the display of flowers out front if her store.

     "Yellow daffodils would be perfect, wouldn't they? Damn that meddling man." With a determined huff and a plan in mind, Billa Baggins of Bag End Flower Shop went back into her cosy shop without another thought of his plant. Her mind was focused and she was determined to finish her work of art. Little did she know, there would be many more unexpected meetings in the near future.  

 

* * *

If you guys were curious:

Birch - meekness

Milkworts - hermitage

Colchicum - my best days have passed

Black Poplar- Courage

Pink Dianthus - Boldness

Oak- Bravery

http://www.languageofflowers.com/flowermeaning.htm#anchorp

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's my first fic in The Hobbit fandom. I've had this idea since the end of the first movie, and its taken THIS LONG JUST TO GET IT OUT. That's almost two years ago... damn...  
> It marinated in my head, snippets came out while I was bored out of my mind at work and it has finally taken shape. I would love to hear comments and constructive critique from my readers with the only exception of this: 
> 
> If it's negative, not helpful or straight up comments to bash genderbending, I don't want to see any of that. I see no point of someone clicking on a story when it's clearly labelled and then promptly bash my choice of writing genderbent characters. I'm sure 99% of this lovely fandom would be more than courteous and respectful, but this is for that other 1%. 
> 
> Thanks to my lovely betas:  
> \- [ voidance309 ](http://voidance309.tumblr.com)  
> \- [pastelfeathers ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelfeathers/pseuds/pastelfeathers)  
> \- [ dedicate ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dedicate/pseuds/dedicate)


	2. Coffee Over White Pillows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 8/27: Sorry the update has been taking so long, had some things to deal with but writing should be commencing soon!

    It was safe to say that three days passed after Gandalf’s visit without any abnormal occurrences. Well, perhaps something was a bit odd, but nothing to the extent of old acquaintances resurfacing from the past. The geranium that Gandalf ordered hadn’t moved from its spot outside her store, tucked into the corner where it would get sun and shade at the right moments of the day. What she found strange about the flower was that it had already started to bloom the second day outside. By the third day, majority of the buds had opened to reveal the white and purple petals. Usually, the stage where the plant was at should have taken a week for the first bud to open. If Billa was still a child dreaming of wizards and dragons, she would have sworn it was magic, instead she blamed it on global warming.

    It was already eleven o’clock in the morning and she had finally sorted out all the freshly delivered flowers, picking the bad ones out and cutting the stems to be placed in clean water. Nobody had entered her store today, but she wasn’t in a hurry. Some days, it was just nice not having to worry about orders from demanding brides or from men trying to worm their way back into their spouses’ good graces. Billa decided that it was finally time for her to stop procrastinating and get her lazy butt to the supply closet. If anyone were to ask about her closet, she liked to compare it to a tv show she’s seen a couple of times. The show was called Zoboomafoo, a kid’s show where a talking lemur puppet and the Kratt brothers teach the audience about animals.  When it comes to the point in the show where they go into their magical closet to grab the supplies they need to go to the Arctic or Africa, a mountain of junk falls down on them the minute they open the door.

     Yeah, that’s the closest analogy she could compare her supply closet to. Billa considered herself to be usually quite organized, but this was the one area where she couldn’t bring herself to clean. Whenever the door was opened, it would take a bit of pushing and squeezing to shove everything back when she was finished.  Clutter went in and most of it never comes out. However facing this unpleasant situation was not out of want, but need. She was mysteriously missing one of her favourite plant clippers, having already searched everywhere but the closet. If it wasn’t behind this door, then perhaps Primula had taken them while she worked the other day; but she wasn’t here at the moment.

      Primula Brandybuck was the sweet girl that was dating her favourite cousin Drogo.      They both met during one of their tutorials in marine biology, forced to work in a group to figure out the best way to save some lobster species. Billa wasn’t sure of the details as Drogo always spoke too quickly and enthusiastically when the subject was Primula; but something about them going on a field trip on a boat and Primula having a close call of falling over the side. He of course being the hero of the day grabbed a hold of her and saved her from the watery depths of the ocean. It honestly sounded like some cheesy romantic movie, but they both swore by it. Billa guessed that for some people, stories like this could be true. Where else would have these clichés come from if not from a grain of truth? Primula wanted a part time job while going to school, so Billa decided she could work for her. It was a good way to see Drogo too, since Billa rarely catches him outside of family gatherings.

     She mentally braced herself as she opened the door and jumped back a step. Just like she thought, the supplies came toppling out like waves onto the floor. She had to be quick with her feet to stop a rolling can from leaving the vicinity. Giving a quiet sigh, Billa scanned the pile before crouching down to start digging through mess.

    “Nope. No… Oh that’s where my extra bag of ribbons are; I’ll have to remember to tell Primula.” She mused, picking through the assortment of items. While rummaging around the pile, she heard jingling from the windchime she hung above  the doorway, indicating a potential customer had entered the shop.

    “Oh bugger… Wait one minute! Make yourself at home, feel free to look around!” she yelled over her shoulder from the back, increasing the rate of chucking random items back into the closet. Guess it wasn’t the day she organized this monster, oh well. She made triumphant sound as her fruitless scavenging finally produced the clippers she was looking for. Feeling pleased, she dropped the clippers into the pocket of her apron and started furiously shoving everything back in.

      She dusted off her hands, smoothed down her curly hair before stepping out from the back of the store. A little relieved that someone has finally taken interest, she peeked at her new customer to find not one, but two.

      First thing she couldn’t help but  notice was how captivating the girl was. It was almost like she stepped out of a magazine, model like figure with her dark sunglasses and bright red lipstick. Her hair was braided into a fishtail and draped over her shoulder. Her clothes were immaculate and wrinkle free down to her blue strapped heels which clicked slowly as she walked around.

      On the other hand, her companion was on the opposite side of the fashion spectrum, although still charming in his own way. He was a young man that looked like he woke up, wiped the drool from the side of his mouth and wore whatever was in arm’s reach. His long shaggy brown hair was tied in a messy bun at the nape of his neck and he clearly forgot to shave as his five o’clock shadow was prominent.  He wore a wrinkled blue t-shirt with ripped jeans and sneakers. The moment he saw Billa, the grin on his face lit the entire room. He smacked the girl on the arm quite rudely to get her attention, in which the girl immediately furrowed her brow and smacked him back.

      “You must be Miss Boggins! I’m glad we found the right store. Fili I told you I made the right turn on tenth!” he smugly taunted, dodging the would have been well aimed hit to the head. He smoothly ran up to her side and reached down to grab her hand.

      “I can see why the party was brought to you as you are as lovely and beaut-” and he was prompted winded as Fili gave a swift jab to his stomach. He hissed and doubled over while she nudged him out of the way while removing her sunglasses.

     “Hello Miss Baggins. Please forgive my brother Kili, he’s such a pain sometimes. I hope we’re not late to the meeting, I know we shoul-”

     “Beautiful,” he wheezed, coming back beside Fili while rubbing the elbowed spot. “I was saying you looked beautiful. And look at your amazing shop! It looks like a shop fro-”

     “Like ten minutes ago but Kili decided he didn’t need any machine to tell him where to go so we tu-” Fili cut in, raising her voice over her brother’s.

     “You know like Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma’s house? Well not saying that you’re the grandma-”

     “Kili! Are you seriously comparing her to a grandmother?”

      “No! Weren’t you listening? I said I was not saying she looked like a grandmother. I mean, does she look like anything like how Gram looked?”

      Billa looking back and forth between the siblings with her eyes wide, not sure on how to react to their banter. They interrupted and talked over each to a point that everything was just noise to her ears.

      “Alright! I get it!” she yelled over their voices, prompting them to shut their mouths immediately. She basked gratefully in the silence while eyeing both of them. Fili had her hand to her mouth, covering a small smile whereas Kili didn’t even have the decency and was giggling.

     “Right.” Billa gave them a tentative smile, deciding to take hold of this conversation. “From what I got from that whole mess, I understand you were saying something about a meeting?” She looked expectantly at the pair. Fili nodded affirmatively while Kili had his eyes fixed on a spot somewhere behind Billa, happy to let his sister do the answering.

      “Well to be quite honest, I don’t know anything about a meeting.”

      “Has it been cancelled?” said Kili alarmed, his attention snapped back to her.

      “Well I don’t know if something can be-”

       Billa got distracted by the front door opening and the sound of wind chimes again, this time an elderly man came through the front door. Dressed in a baggy scarlett cardigan, simple button up and slacks, he looked more like her usual customer. But the look of recognition he shot at the trio and the warm smile that followed told Billa that he was part of this whole situation. Two out of the three returned with a giant smile back, the other one had a bewildered look.

      “Ah, now a vision of beauty and her sloppy brother. How are ye?” the man exclaimed in a Scottish burr. The siblings left her side to the older man, each giving him a tight embrace. As they parted, the new member turned his attention to Billa, curiously gazing at her from underneath his snowy white eyebrows.

       “Where are my manners, I couldna help but greet these  rascals first.” He liberated his arm from Kili’s grip to extend his hand to Billa. “Balin Fundison, at yer service. It’s quite a pleasure to meet ye Miss Baggins.”

      Billa found herself shaking his hand, still having no idea who these people were and how everybody knew who she was. “Y--Yes, the pleasure is mine.” she replied politely, and if she answered with an upward inflection at the end of her reply, he didn’t mention it.

      He searched her face, humming in agreement as Kili was tugging Fili towards the corner of the room where the refreshments were. Billa decided to venture a guess on why this man was in her store.

     “Are you here for some meeting?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t right. If she was right, then she guessed for some reason she couldn’t fathom, somebody decided her flower shop was a meeting room instead of it’s original purpose.

     “Right ye are lass, Gandalf had kindly offered this shop for all of us to meet. Oh and of course to meet ye.”

      Billa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Gandalf? Gandalf was the one who offered her shop for a meeting? Oh no, this wouldn’t do at all. This was a flower shop, a business. Not some office building where people discuss plans. In fact, she still had no idea what the meeting was about!

     “Now I'm sorry if this sounds rude Mr. Fundison, but I didn’t approve of any sort of meeting in my shop. Whatever Gandalf said never crossed my attention. Now I can help you with purchasing flowers-”

      The front door opened again.

      This time a trio entered her shop accompanied with the sound of a scolding woman. The first man that came through the door gave a quick look around the store behind his thick rimmed glasses. He made eye contact with Billa as he pushed his orange fringe from his eyes. With a narrowing of his eyes and a quick look from head to toe, he gave her a curt nod acknowledging her before walking past her towards the refreshments. Billa's attempt to question him was smothered out by the older woman nagging at remaining lady, who was ducking into her thin sweater as if she can hide from her words.

     “Ori, haven’t you been eating three meals a day? Your face is as pale as a sheet of paper, you know how you get when you’re not properly eating” The older woman grabbed Ori’s chin from its wooly hiding place and turned her head side to side to look at her face. She was clearly not pleased by what she saw as she tutted loudly, looking disapprovingly at the shorter woman.

     “Look at those cheekbones jutting out! No meat at all.  No Ori, you’re moving back as soon as possible.”

      Ori sighed and shoved the hand away, ducking back into her grey sweater while tugging the beanie firmly back on her head.

     “Dori, I already said I won’t go back. I’m doing fine, I’m an adult,” she mumbled, noticing for the first time that Billa and Balin was staring at them. A faint blush grew on her cheeks from embarrassment, and she looked down to her feet. Dori seemed to follow her line of gaze to the pair but instead of shying away, she brushed the wrinkles from her purple dress and walked forward towards them.  
  
     “Balin, nice to see you. Not looking too shabby!”

     “Aye, not looking bad yerself Dori. I like the silver.” Balin replied, pointing towards her short hair.

      Dori pleasantly smiled back before directing her attention to Billa, who was in the midst of closing her eyes in frustration. “Miss Baggins, very hospitable to offer your place. My name is Doris Ri, but feel free to call me Dori. This is my younger sister Ori.” Billa glanced behind her to the younger woman who was waving hesitantly. “And my  brother,  the man who rudely walked by is Nori Montgomery Ri.” Dori called, raising her voice in a stern manner, making sure her voice carried to the corner of the room.  From the corner of her eye, Billa saw a raised hand that might have had a certain finger raised and the sound          Kili laughing followed.

      Billa sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She had a feeling that Gandalf would be coming sooner or later to this “meeting”, she might as well make these people comfortable. Maybe she could get some information out of them at the same time.

     “Well Dori, Ori, Balin, would you like some refreshments?” She swept her arm towards the sitting area.

     “Oh very lovely, I hadn’t had my morning tea yet.” Dori gleefully said, eyes brightening.

     “Well I don’t have any tea bags,” Billa started saying pausing at the growing expression of horror on Dori’s fair face. “But… I will take some out from the back if you like. What’s your flavour?”  
  
       Dori looked visibly relieved, “Chamomile, if you have it.”

      Billa nodded, looking at Balin and Ori questionably as she walked with them to the sitting area.

     “Coffee would be fine lassie.”

     “If it’s no trouble, some tea as well.”

      Billa absently bobbed her head as she made a beeline to the back room, trying to find three more cups from her cabinet. It was clear by it's depleting state, she was running low on cups. The largest amount of people she had to welcome in her shop at a time was a family of five.

      There’s already six.

     Billa was nervous to ask, but she had to know how many more were coming. The best outcome would just be Gandalf. “So, how many more will be coming??” She called out in what she thought was a casual tone while rummaging through her drink cabinet. Nobody answered her for a good minute. When she started to think they didn’t hear her at all over the chatter, the front door opened.

     Billa had to set everything down for a second, frustration getting the best of her. It wasn’t like she didn’t like visitors or customers, but there’s only so much a woman can take after spending a good part of the last seven years alone. There was a loud cheer in response to the new guests and as she poked her head out, she saw an addition of three more people. Feeling a little more than stressed out, she went back in searching for cups. Billa grabbed the last from her cabinet, lamenting that it was her own personal favourite. Hopefully they wouldn’t drop any of her cups or plates. With a quick look around, she found some small containers and vases that could barely scrape by as cups. Eyeing them carefully, she saw that they weren’t unclean, maybe just a bit dusty. With a quick rinse and a scrub with soap, Billa arranged them along side the tea on a serving tray. She gave her favourite cup another longing look, pausing with conflict. Shaking her head at nobody in particular, she placed it back on her shelf.  She wouldn’t have known what to do if someone broke it, it was safer to leave it in here. She ventured back out with her new goods.

     The newcomers seemed to be settling in quite nicely, slapping the backs of others, wrapping an arm around another’s shoulder. One man had a very interesting sense of style. He wore a bright yellow t-shirt with the word “smile” bolded across his chest, some type of russian trapper hat, denim short and some blue crocs for shoes. Living true to the message on his shirt, he had a huge dimpled smile underneath a moustache she had only seen on villains like Captain Hook. Billa wasn’t a woman who would actively follow the newest fashion trend, but even she knew this was a very ‘unique’ style. He had his arm around Nori’s shoulder, chatting away while Nori sat there looking like he would rather be somewhere else.

      The second man had made himself comfortable in an armchair, clutching the plate of cookies. He was a larger man, more hefty compared to his companions. Cookie crumbs littered his pale green button up, making a tiny pile where his stomach extended.

      “Bombur, would you please make use of the napkin.” Dori handed him another one as she walked by to reach Billa. Bombur looked down noticing the small mess he created, and swept them off in one swoop. Billa couldn’t help but cringe as they fell onto her rug, but she already knew that the vacuum would make an appearance after they left.

      “Ah thank you dear,” said Dori, picking up the tea bags and hovered her hand above the cups. She passed the interesting choices Billa decided to use for cups without a word and picked three of the normal ones. Billa turned to offer the remaining of choices to the man beside Nori.

      “Sorry, I’m not used to this many people in my shop at once. You get a lovely selection of the polka dot vase, striped flower pot holder or this small container with a pig on it.” She grinned sheepishly at him.

      The man raised an eyebrow, “Well with such an amazing selection, I’ll have to pick the small container with a pig. Obvious choice.” He said it in a way that sounded serious and his straight face gave away nothing. Billa returned the same look, eyebrow and everything. It was the man who broke first, starting with his eyes thawing, then a small twitch at the lips before a full blown grin. He laughed loudly, a laugh that started from the belly up.

     “Oh, I like you already.” He said still chuckling, “I’m Bofur, pleasure to meet you.”

     Billa smiled back, turning to the man in the armchair while he grabbed the polka dot vase off the tray.

     “Bombur. And might I say, great cookies. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Could use some more chocolate chips though.” he said politely, taking some effort to get out of his chair to pour himself some coffee.

     “Bombur should know, he’s a great chef. Knows his way around the kitchen as you can see by his stature.” Bofur joked, patting Bombur’s stomach while he poured some coffee into Bofur’s cup. Billa widened her eyes, taken aback by the backhanded compliment, but it seemed like Bombur just chuckled and went along with it.

     “Right, well that leaves the stripped holder for your friend.” She handed the last beverage holder to the man staring at one of her sunflower plants. It took a bit to get his attention, but he eventually took the cup from her while staring intently at the flower, grunting a response she assumed was thanks.

      “This here is Bifur. Doesn’t talk much anymore after the accident.” Balin said as he stood beside her. He gestured towards Bifur’s head where she saw a star-like shaped scar that stretched from the middle of his forehead to the edge of his hair line.

      “Car accident, many years ago. Doctors said he has trouble connecting words together, at times even thoughts. But he’s not dim-witted, mind you. Most of the time he’s as sharp as a knife, also quite artistic. Has a knack of designing anything from large art pieces to the smallest of toys.” Billa stared at the Bifur in interest, trying to imagine what his brain was thinking while staring at the sunflower with such concentration.

      “So if he can’t put words together, then how does he communicate?” She asked curiously. Bifur broke his gaze from the yellow flower and turned to look Billa in the eye. She tensed up under the sudden attention. Bifur moved his hands quickly in different actions, in  which she guessed was sign language.

      “He says, you don’t have to be afraid to talk to him, he can understand you perfectly. Feel free to grab anyone here to translate, however some people are better than others at sign language. ” Balin translated fluently pausing as Bifur’s hands stopped in the air.

      “And… he wanted to let you know yellow is his favourite colour.” Balin smiled, shrugging at her. Billa grinned as she turned to Bifur, “Well I’m not afraid to talk to you, I just wanted to know how to properly communicate with you. And yellow is a very nice colour, many associate the colour with happiness.” She didn’t mention that she already guessed it was his favourite colour as he was dressed from head to toe in yellow.

      “Miss Boggins, do you have anymore food?”

      “Kee, it’s Miss Baggins.”

      “Oh right, Miss Baggins!”

       Billa glanced back at the table to see Killi waving empty plates in the air. It came to her attention that these people are consuming all of her refreshments and aren’t even customers. She didn’t want to seem rude, but this wasn’t exactly her way of business. Any positive feelings from learning about these people quickly turned sour again. However at the end, civility won and she walked back to grab the plates to bring them to the back.  She completely ignored Kill’s charming smile, not wanting him to get onto her good side. In fact, she really didn’t want anyone here to be on her good side. These constant stream of requests kept distracting her from asking the most important question, what in God’s name is this meeting about?

       She cradled her head in her hands once she set the plates down, feeling a headache creeping up when she heard that blasted wind chimes again. She was going to rip those wind chimes from her doors as soon as they leave. She grabbed a couple rolls of biscuits and a chunk of cheese, determined  to get some answers.

       With a sense of new determination, she marched out from the back to face the poor unfortunate souls that would now have to deal her angry side. She saw the three new people, two who were currently greeting the rest, one standing on the outside of the group chuckling. Billa dropped the plates onto the table with a loud thump, interrupting the merry greetings.

       The two newcomers, stepped forward to introduce themselves but Billa held her arm straight out, index finger pointed up to indicate them to wait one minute. Their greetings fell silent in their mouths as she moved her hand through the air to eventually point at the third person.   
  
      “Gandalf.” She stated, a very strained smile on her face. “Can I please talk to you privately?” Gandalf blinked at her innocently, eyebrows raised in question.

      “Now please.” she gritted out. Gandalf tapped his walking stick a couple of times  contemplatively before stepping forward towards her. Billa looked around to see everyone darting their eyes back and forth between the pair. “Oh don’t stop on our behalf. I brought out some more snacks.”

       She hooked her hand into the crook of his elbow and dragged him to the other side of the room among the plants. When she deemed that they could talk without being overheard, she glared up at Gandalf.

       “What--” she paused, clenching her jaw, “What in bloody hell are these people doing here? Who are they and what is this goddamn meeting! I’ve waited and entertained them long enough and I demand an answer now!” She had absolutely no patience anymore.

       “They’re quite a lively bunch aren’t they? You’ll get used to them very quickly.” Gandalf winked down at her.

       “Get use-- I don’t want to get used to them! And don’t you think you can avoid answering my questions.” Billa felt like she wanted to punch the twinkle from his eyes. “From what I gathered, this was your idea? I never agreed to hosting a meeting in my workplace.” She poked him hard on the chest in hopes to get her words through his thick head.

       “Excuse me,” a voice seemingly came out from a large potted plant. Billa had to fight hard to keep an irritated sigh from escaping. Ori ducked her head out from behind the plant looking sheepishly at them.  

       “Mr. Gandalf, my sister is asking if you would like some chamomile tea. And Miss. Baggins, what shall I do with my plate?”

       “Give it here Ori, I can take care of that.” Fili whispered into her ear as she successfully stalked her from behind, watching gleefully as Ori flinched. She dropped the plate she was holding in fright, but luckily Fili was ready to snatch it from her before it fell to the floor. Ori quickly took a step back from Fili, flushing a deep red from embarrassment.

       “Always red aren’t you’ she teased, winking at Ori when she gaped at her wordlessly. “Kee, get your lazy ass up and help me with the dishes,” she called out to her brother who was sitting on the arm of the couch, whispering and laughing with Bofur.

       “No tea for me Ori, maybe something more potent. Any wine?” Gandalf asked, looking at Ori who shrugged before looking at Billa. She shot Gandalf an unimpressed look, a look that very much said it’s not even the afternoon and you want alcohol?

       “Luckily I do have some pinot noir tucked in the back of my fridge somewhere, I’ll go--” Billa got interrupted by Dori’s voice from the back room of her shop.  

       “No need Miss Baggins, I found it!” Billa blanched when she saw that Dori had found her mug along with other vases and such for the newcomers. Dori had almost bumped into Fili and Kili as they bustled passed her juggling their own plates and cups.  Billa almost had a heart attack, watching her favourite mug teeter on the edge of the tray before settling on the right side. If that wasn’t bad enough, Billa heard a loud sound from the back of something falling accompanied by bickering.

       “Were those my plates? Don’t you break them! Those were my mothers thank you very much!” She left Gandalf who looked far too amused, forgetting that she wanted answers from the man to rush towards the back. The whole throng of people appeared to be all doing something that could result in damaged goods. She stopped to scold one of the new men to keep his shoes off her coffee table, caught Bifur from ripping one of the flower heads from her golden-yellow lilies, yelled in alarm at the way Nori was pouring coffee over her white pillows. Bofur was throwing cheese pieces at Bombur, shouting in delight whenever he caught them in his mouth and booing whenever he missed.  The noise level increased as people tried to talk over one another.

       Billa stood in the middle of all the commotion, turning in circles, trying to stop whatever chaos was happening. All of a sudden, everyone stopped; the room was silent besides the heavy and distressed breathing from Billa. She looked around, very aware of the stillness until she noticed  what everyone was staring at-- the front door.

      The woman who walked in was probably one of the most intimidating people she had seen in her life. She was dressed in a black button up with pushed up sleeves, revealing tattoos that started at her hands and ended up at the elbow. Her head sheared at the sides leaving a green mohawk. Her ears had multiple piercings and a septum ring hung on her nose. She stood at the entrance, scanning around the room as if she was checking for any possible danger.  She looked over her shoulder behind her shades and said,

     “It’s clear Thorin. You can come in now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horray, the introduction of the company! Man it's hard writing for so many characters. Anyways, the next chapter may take longer to come out. If you're signing up for this fic, be warned I'm a slow writer. But every kudo and comment makes me happier and hopefully more motivated to write!


	3. These are a Few of My Favourite Things!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit (7/30/16):  
> Well well well, two years since the update eh? Lots of stuff happened since then; graduated, still don't know what to do with life, started working in an office, travelled a tiny bit.... Haven't wrote a lick of anything since 2014... Oh the Hobbit trilogy finished too.
> 
> Putting out a tentitive foot back into the writing world, I have started looking at this story again. You know, reviewing what I wrote before, seeing if I even remember what the plot of this story is anymore. It's going to be slow, but I think i'm going to spend every saturday chipping at this. I had this whole blurb about my writing style changed after taking some creative writing courses, but honestly I probably forgot what I learned. I feel like my writing is just going to be what it is. So there you go, an update 2 years later for those poor souls who somehow stumbled upon this story buried under 2 years worth of other fanfictions.
> 
> On the mean time, I had a small preview of my next chapter posted on my tumblr : [ teepuny.tumblr.com ](http://teepuny.tumblr.com/tagged/my%20fic:%20CN) (still there and was written 2 years ago)

   Billa loved staying at home, like many others she knew. She didn’t consider herself a hermit, but there’s nothing that beats those quiet moments after work.  On weekends, she would rather curl up in her favourite armchair and watch “The Sound of Music” or read a book instead of attending social events. She wasn’t proud, but there were times where she lied about having a busy evening to not join a couple of pals down at the bar. But seriously, a home cooked meal made from her own hands was so much better than the bar snacks that dripped of oil and God knows what. In those quiet evenings, she’s done her fair share of looking into the entertainment business as most people do, wondering what the latest celebrity gossip was. However, never in her life would she have thought Thorin Durinson, lead actor of movies like “The Deathless Man” and “Lost Mountain” would walk through her front door.

   Thorin looked impossibly better in person than those candid photos in the daily magazines. He sported a shorter hairstyle, likely his personal stylist’s idea, that was different the last picture she had seen in Goblin's Gossip. He wore a double-breasted black coat unbuttoned and collar popped, showing his sky blue v-neck sweater underneath. Everything looked expensive and screamed that he shouldn’t be in a place where pollen, dirt and leaves could touch him.

   He looked around the place with a raised eyebrow and an unimpressed expression. The quietness in the room was broken by two voices shouting in unison and footsteps of two people rushing towards the front. Kili was first, almost jumping on top of Thorin as he pounced to hug him. Fili broke out of her respectable self and joined in on the hug as well. Like the ice was broken, the noise came back with a rush and everybody moved forward to greet Thorin and his companion. That left Billa bug-eyed in the background  with Gandalf still chuckling as he grinned at the gathering.

   “Well, that makes thirteen!” He made the effort to catch Billa’s gaze before talking. “Now we’re set to hold that meeting.” Billa was just about to ask why celebrity idol, Thorin Durinson, was in her store when the man of the hour interrupted.

   “Ah Gandalf, if it weren’t for your business card out front, I would have walked right passed this shop. When Dwalin said this was it, I insisted that she had the address wrong until I saw your sign. I was thinking we were meeting at a more professional place, not this…” he trailed off, giving a little wave with his hand to the surrounding. Something in the way he gestured and the tone of his voice irritated her; like he was insinuating her beloved shop was a garbage dump or something unappealing like that. Billa didn’t even notice she had crossed her arms until she felt herself tapping a finger against her biceps.

   "Shall we begin with some introductions? Billa Baggins, this is Thorin Durinson. This lovely place belongs to Billa here." Gandalf spoke, addressing both of them. Thorin seemed to finally notice that she was in the room. He took off his shades and tucked it into his breast pocket, fixing his pale blue eyes on her warm hazel ones. Normally long exposure of eye contact made her a tad uncomfortable, especially against dissecting stares . However she couldn't give a damn at the moment, not when there’s a man with a stick up his ass insulting her shop.

   "So this is the woman?” He stated flatly. "I see nothing special about you... Tell me Miss Baggins, how's your memory?" Thorin asked while giving her a look over starting from her head down to her toes. Billa found herself momentarily caught off guard by the random question, but netherless she answered.

   "Fine, as well as any other I would assume. Why would you need to kn-"

   "Fine as anybody else isn't good enough. Without proper training, you'll just be average. I need more than average. How about acting? What was your latest film?"

   "You need more than average? What does that even mean? And film?" She retorted rudely, glaring up at him. He was much taller and broader than any picture in the magazine could show. Maybe that was a reason why she had felt like she had to straighten her back and lift her chin up. She hated being looked down upon during arguments--damn her short genes.

   "How about we all take a seat first? More pleasant for everyone is it not? My dear, could you flip your open sign to close?" Gandalf interrupted as he decided to fill the role of peacemaker, placing a hand on Thorin's back to nudge him towards the sitting area.

   Thorin moved without hesitation, dismissing Billa as he headed for the couch. Billa noticed the way Nori and Bofur quickly got to their feet, vacating the couch for his majesty. She rolled her eyes, but did as Gandalf asked. Despite the fact she was still riled up, she was willing to calm down if that meant she would finally be getting some answers.

   When she returned to the sitting area, she discovered the group was already talking without her! "They have a knack of keeping me out of things don't they?". The whole company grouped around the coffee table, the youngest group members sat on the floor, the oldest sitting on the couches and stools. People were grabbing their respective papers from the table, each paper with a name. Thorin made himself comfortable sitting on the couch next to Balin, drinking coffee from  her favourite mug. Billa would have liked to think she was giving him a dirty look, but in reality it probably looked like she had something in her eye.

   "Have you heard from Blue Mountains?” Billa heard as she found a spot in the corner for herself.

   “Yes, I spoke to them earlier today.” Thorin said, staring into his mug.

   “And? Is Ironfoot going to help?” Dwalin asked after she swallowed her cookie, immediately grabbing another.

   “No, he’s not.” Everybody responded to the news with murmurs of disappointed sounds. “In fact, Blue Mountain stated that they did not want to invest in something that has high consequences if we don’t succeed.  We will have to depend on our own time and money.” Thorin said, peering around at the group of people.

   The company continued with their groans and curses, louder and stronger than last time.

   “But that doesna matter. We all agreed to make this work didn’t we?” Balin addressed them, his soft voice demanding attention. Some way or another, everyone in the group agreed in their own way.

   “Good. So let’s go over the details again. When is the contract terminated?” Thorin asked.

   “The contract is over on November 1st , which means we have seven months to finish this film.”

   “Alright, we should be able to make it with that time.”

    Billa perked up at the mention of a film. Gandalf never mentioned this was a meeting about a movie. Well, that would explain why Thorin was here. Thorin scratched his chin, scanning over his paper as everyone waited  for him to continue.

   “Bifur, Oin, how are the sets and location scouting going?” Thorin questioned.

    When nobody answered him, he looked up from his paper to the two gentlemen. Bifur was intently staring off to the side at something, brows furrowed in concentration. Oin was reading his paper and didn’t show any indication that he had heard Thorin. The burly red head beside Oin nudged him with his elbow until he looked up alarmed.

   “What?” Oin yelled loudly, making the people around him flinch from the bellow.

   “He’s talkin’ to ye!” Gloin shouted in response. “Have ye turned off yer hearin’ aid? Christ Almighty, ye and yer bad habits.” He reached over to grab Oin’s ear and fiddled around. The shouting appeared to reel Bifur back into the group as well as he looked away from whatever caught his attention.

   “Sorry, it was so loud before. Couldna take it.” Oin apologized.

   Thorin cleared his throat, waving with his hand to show there was no harm done and repeated his question towards Oin.

  “Right. Well I found some nice places, bonny locations I would say. Contacted all the right people, should be good to go.”

  “Good. Bifur?” Thorin continued.

   Bifur took his time, clearing his throat, gathering his thoughts. However everyone seemed patient, as if they were used to this routine. Billa noticed Bofur nodding supportively towards Bifur with a grin.

  “Th-- the sets are al-” Bifur cleared his throat again, swallowing dryly. “Almost done. I j--ju….” He looked frustrated, staring down at his hands for a moment before sighing. Quickly, he turned towards Bofur and started signing to him.

  “He’s pretty much finished with the whole lot. Got his workers and students helping him out at the studio. The rest of the sets will be assembled at the different locations when they’re finished.” Bofur translated fluently, adding a softer smile towards Bifur at the end.

  “Thank you Bifur, Bofur. Ori? How’s the storyboards going?”  Ori jolted from her slouched position on the floor, looking up at Thorin.

  “Um, it’s going along well Mr. Durinson. There’s some new pages for you to look over when you have the chance.” She responded, fidgeting the entire time.

   Thorin hummed in agreement, before flipping the page over. The action was immediately mimicked by everyone else in the room.

  "Costumes?"

  "Aye, that'll be me,” Gloin responded. “I got yers and the youngins all sorted out. The rest will have to wait til I actually see them, the extras and all." Gloin paused for a second, turning the glance at Billa in the corner of the room. "And of course, I'm missin' hers as well."

   Billa stood a little straighter from her slouched position when everybody turned to look at her. Since she had everyone’s attention, this was a perfect time to stop this nonsense; she finally decided to pitch her question.

  "So let me get this straight, from what I gathered so far. You people here, are a movie production crew and decided for some godforsaken reason that my flower shop was the place to meet. I've been getting hints all day long that I have some part in this grand scheme. The only reason I can think of where as I would be of use is if you wanted some advice with floral arrangement. Is that what I'm here for?"

  The room was quiet, but their gazes didn't fall away. However, that awkward silence was creeping its way into the atmosphere.

  "Don't you all start climbing over each other to answer my question…" she attempted to joke, trying to relieve the tension in the air.

  "Did Gandalf not inform you in anything? Do you not know anything at all?" Thorin decided to be the one to ask the question everybody was thinking.

   Billa huffed in annoyance and pushed herself from the corner of the room to walk towards them.

  "What do you think I was trying to do while everybody was making a ruckus? That I was twiddling my thumbs while allowing thirteen people eat my food and drink my coffee without any intention of buying any plants? You have no idea how well your company can distract a person from getting her answer. But please, enlighten me." She ended her complaint with a sarcastic twist.  She saw Thorin narrow his eyes, shooting her a cold glare. He didn't take the bait by snapping at her, but he did respond.

   "My father, Thrain Durinson, dedicated his life writing an amazing story, one that reflected his passion and love for his family. Since he was a scriptwriter, his life goal was to bring his creation onto screen and he truly believed it could make it. However due to some..." Thorin trailed as if he was internally debating something.  

   "Some circumstances, he picked the wrong investor. He signed his life work away in a contract that offered far lower rewards than his work should have gotten. The investor called himself Smaug and his  production company was unfortunately well known and successful. Luckily, my father had enough sense to sign a contract with a time constraint, allowing Smaug five years to produce the film. Coming this November-"

   "You guys will be able to take the rights back and make the movie the way your father wanted." Billa finished his sentence, a bit softly but genuine. Doing something for love and family was something she appreciated in others. Even if Thorin was a prick, she begrudgingly couldn't fault him for that.

   "Don't get me wrong, but that lovely story didn't answer my question though. What is my role in this whole scheme?"

  "Technically, what we are doing could be illegal if Smaug finds out.” Balin took the liberty to continue Thorin's thoughts. “We wanna to beat him to the punch, make the movie before he knows we are. We have sources saying that he hasna started production. .  I have no idea why he hasn’t started after all these years, but it doesna matter now.”

   Gandalf decided that he would finally chip into this conversation, continuing the flow of conversation when Balin stopped. “Now to answer your question Billa, this story needs a female lead to balance the male one. So far, Thorin is playing the main male lead and Fili and Kili are the supporting actors. As the casting director for this project, I have decided to choose you.”

   Billa took a moment to process what he said, as if a screw loosened in her ability to think logically. The more her mind replayed it in her head, the more ridiculous it sounded. Her surprise must have shown on her face since the expressions around the table slowly turned into concern.

  “Are you alright dear?” She heard Dori ask from somewhere to the side and her panicked laugh in response startled everyone.

  "Me... A florist.  A girl who grew up with plants and eventually grew into a woman who sold plants. Me, being a lead actress?" She looked incredulously at Gandalf who patiently held a small smile on his face.

  "You have to tell me what you were smoking when you came up with this idea, Gandalf. I haven't a lick of experience as an actress, let alone being a lead for what I'm sure is an important movie! I mean, I was a shepherd in a nativity play when I was ten, but all I had to do was look amazed and pet some stuffed sheep!" Her argument generated some commotion in the room, muttering and doubts thrown in every direction. Thorin had his stupid brow lifted again, disappointed and satisfied like  he had known this fact all along.

  "She said she had tons of experience?"

  "No Oin, she said she hadna any!"

  "But who would we cast as the main actress?"

  "I'm sure she is being modest."

  "I knew it from the moment I saw her."

   Billa glanced around at the assortment of reactions, partly relieved that some of them seemed to understand her predicament, although she couldn't help but feel a little rejected even though she had no reason to even feel that way. The level of noise rose to a point that mirrored the situation before, but this time it was noises of argument instead of greetings and pleasant talks. Gandalf stood from his stool and thumped his polished cane loudly on the hardwood floor, gathering the attention of everyone in the room.

   "Be quiet!" Gandalf bellowed. "Mr. Durinson has asked me to find you the main actress and I have decided it to be Miss Baggins! I would hope you all to trust a man with years of experience. If I say Billa has the potential to become a great actress, then she will." He snapped at the crowd, eyes flashing.

   After a moment of discussion amongst them all and Billa still reeling from what was happening, Thorin cleared his throat. It was funny how his muted gesture could quiet the room, where Gandalf had to pound the ground as if only vibrations could shake them out of their conversations.

  "Very well, I have asked you to find me someone suitable, and if she is suitable," he shot Billa a dubious glance before returning his attention to Gandalf. “Then I will take your word for it. Balin?"

   Balin reached into his bag and drew out a slim manilla folder. Though he wasn't particularly smiling, he had a kind look behind his reading glasses as he passed the folder to Billa. She took the folder tentatively, making noises of disagreement since her brain decided she couldn't form coherent sentences. Seeing there was no other option at the moment, she opened it and started reading the document inside. It was a contract for her involvement in the film. As she was reading through it, another conversation started with the company.

   "I hate to be the one to bring up this point, but how exactly are we going to procure the rights to the story? Aye, it's true that come November the rights of the story will belong to Thrain, but that doesna mean it belongs to Thorin now dinnit?" Balin questioned the group.

   The murmuring from the company was completely white noise to Billa as she read to herself, muttering under her breath.

   "--must give all rights to Oakenshield and Co., so that the film may be distributed... Food and refreshment will be provided. Well that's good. However… Due to the situation at hand, if the company will be sieged with any legal action, we will not guarantee that legal consequences will be... Avoided?" She left her mouth hanging open. Does this piece of paper that she's supposed to sign indicate that if they get sued, there's no escape?

   "This includes fines, court orders and jail sentences?" She exclaimed loudly, looking baffled, up from the paper to Balin. At the same time of her objection, there was an overwhelming response of surprise that seemed to be directed towards Gandalf. He held a small USB in his hand, twirling it around his fingers.

   "This is the key to your success. Here contains the documents and even audio recording from Thrain Durinson indicating the passing of rights to his kin. He gave it to me some years ago, told me to keep it safe until it's needed." Gandalf's voice rumbled to a stop, giving Thorin a warm look. Billa took a glance at Thorin to see his mouth drop open and eyes wide. It was the first time that Billa could recall seeing him deviate from  his high-and-mighty attitude. He must have realized what he looked like because his eyes lost that blank appearance and he his mouth closed to form a firm line. Lifting his hand, he opened his palm, waiting for the USB.  Gandalf handed it to him without any resistance and Thorin immediately pocketed it inside his coat. He shot Gandalf a suspicious glare, searching his face for any trickery.

   “How did you get this? Why would my father give this to you instead of giving it to me directly? He should have at least given it to Dis, not to someone who isn’t part of the family.”

    Gandalf made a disapproving sound in the back of his throat and combated his accusation and suspicion with a look of annoyance.

    “Thorin, I knew your father a long time ago. He gave this to me when you were away.” He paused, allowing Thorin to catch his meaning. “He couldn’t have given it to you at that time; you wouldn’t have taken it seriously. You were young and full of ideas. No, he wouldn’t have limited your future; he didn’t want to force you down set path.” The sharpness in his voice dulled along the way and was replaced with sympathy.

   “He gave it to me so that when the time was right, I could give it to you. True, he could have given it to Dis. But she wouldn’t have understood the importance, the gravity this holds to this particular endeavor. I was the best choice and after you sleep on this new information, you will agree with me.”

   Everybody appeared to be waiting on Thorin, as disagreement created tension in the air. It was only when Thorin finally nodded towards Gandalf that the company relaxed back into their seats. The chattering arose again and Billa took this opportunity to grab Gandalf by the elbow and pulled him towards the back room. He made a grunt of displeasure, but complied even though she pulled him a little rougher than he would have liked. He took one look at her face when they finally stopped and his eyebrows drew up.

   “Whatever is the problem Billa?”

   “You know perfectly what the problem is!” She shoved the contract onto his chest, letting it drop knowing he would catch it. “This whole thing is a joke right? I heard all of what you guys said and I have a clear idea on how important this movie is to the lot of people outside. You know that I’m not even close of being qualified for this role, but you still told everybody out there that I am perfect?” She paced back and forth, running her hand through her hair, which now hardly resembled anything close to being neat.

   Gandalf stood there silently, watching her pace with patience. He waited for her to take a natural break in her pacing before interrupting her.

   “But didn’t you say you wanted this sort of life? The longing to see fantasy turned into reality, the glamour of being able to leap into other lives and worlds? Where was the child that wanted to pursue theatre, to pursue the art of slipping into skins not her own?” His words slowed her steps and eventually stopped her, commanding her to look at him. She swallowed the lump that developed in her throat, her mind reaching back to those forgotten dreams.

   “Reality happened Gandalf. Sense and responsibilities. My parents gave everything up for me, for me to carry out those dreams to an extent. But when Papa got sick and he stopped working at the construction site, things got complicated. This shop became their world and also mine.” She glared at him, daring him to refute her as her eyes shined with emotion. Luckily, he had the sense to stop talking.  He took a moment before he approached her carefully like she was a wounded animal. Laying a hand on her shoulder gently, he waited until the tension lessened in her shoulders.

   “I know that it was hard Billa. I understand that it was a trying time to make things meet. But your parents, bless their souls, are not here anymore. You’ve built this business up and clearly it has flourished under your influence. Things are better now aren’t they? I am willing to bet that you have enough saved to keep this shop running for many, many years. It’s time for you to indulge yourself with your own ambitions; don’t you think you deserve it?” He left the question hanging in the air, waiting to see if she had the courage to respond. It was slow, but he could see her mind working behind her eyes, gathering an answer.

   “But can you promise that this place, their dream, will be here when this job is finished? I know the risks, the contract even stated them. What they’re doing could be dangerous and I would have to defend for myself. Even with the money I’ve saved, will this shop continue to exist if it’s threatened by a lawsuit? Can you assure me that my shop will be safe?” It was his turn to address the question. He held her gaze; his expression said everything and she knew her answer.

   “No, I can’t promise you that.”

   Billa inhaled deeply and let out a heavy sigh, as if this act would cleanse her thoughts. The tiny glint of hope extinguished and was replaced with grim reluctance and acceptance.

   “Then I won’t agree to this. I’m sorry Gandalf, but you found the wrong person.” She patted his hand and casted a small, sad smile up at him. He returned one back, tightening his grip on her shoulder comfortingly.

   The moment was interrupted by a loud breaking noise outside. Billa flinched, recognizing the sound and quickly retreated from the back room to see what had broken. She found herself immediately zeroing in at her favourite mug on the ground, handle broken, pieces of it littered the floor. Miraculously, most of the coffee was in the mug, but there was still a fair share threatening to soak into the wooden floor. It was her favourite mug because it was her father’s favourite mug. He would never be without it in the early mornings, yawning into the air before sipping on the liquid goodness inside. She took up his routine when he left and now she wouldn’t be seen without in the mornings.

   “Miss Baggins,” a deep voice broke the silence and distress. But Billa couldn’t bear with any explanations at the moment. This whole morning she had been on the precipice of lashing out; the constant confusion, the strangers in her shop, the amount of noise. She believed herself to a woman of incredible patience and of high tolerance. But this was the point of no return. When Billa gets angry, very angry, she doesn’t yell or scream. She doesn’t throw things around the room or punch the nearest person. She becomes absolutely still and expressionless. Her mind becomes extremely clear on her next actions and she carries them out without hesitation. It would be the opposition’s turn to be unable to hold eye contact with her.

   She slowly looked up at Thorin and she could see his eyes widen with unease. His mouth hung open like he was about to say something, but the words got lost somewhere between his brain and mouth. He swallowed dryly before recovering his expression to a professional mask. “How much did the cup cost? I’ll pa-”

   “I am not going to be your actress.” She interrupted him sharply, her tone low and firm. “Most of you are probably are glad to hear this anyways.” And she was right, judging by some of their faces. “I’m afraid you’ll have to find someone else. Now if all of you could please leave my shop, I have a business to run and this meeting has taken up a lot of my time.” Billa didn’t have any trouble meeting the eyes of the company, but not everybody could meet her eyes.

   The company got up from their seats and made their way out of her shop, most of them thanking her for her hospitality, albeit these thanks were hurried and quiet. Most of them made a beeline towards the door, talking softly among themselves. Fili and Kili lingered behind, exchanging worried glances between Thorin and Billa. The former self had his gaze burning into the back of Billa's skull as she bent down to pick up the broken ceramic pieces. She could see from her peripheral that Gandalf had stopped beside her and heard him mutter “Oh dear” under his breath. He paused for a couple of seconds longer before moving towards the door.

  “Take care Billa,” she heard his voice from behind her before hearing the blasted wind chimes again. She placed the broken pieces in an empty bowl on the table, working quietly on gathering the dirty dishes. The siblings made a move towards her but Dwalin caught them both by their arms. She shook her head as a warning, before nodding her head to the front door. With some hesitation, Fili and Kili left their spots and walked away with Dwalin. Thorin hadn’t moved from his spot, his stance firm and tense. He didn’t try to speak and for all she cared, Billa had zero interest in hearing him. It was Balin who broke the silence with a sympathetic click of his tongue. He moved past Thorin’s stationary form and helped with stacking the dirty plates.

   Billa allowed him to help and they gathered everything quickly onto the serving tray. Before she could lift the tray, Balin grabbed her wrist gently to stay her motions.

   “I’m sorry lass. I know this must have been something special.” He paused, judging her reaction. Seeing that she stayed quiet and still, he continued. “I know ye said ye dinna want to be our actress, but Gandalf must have picked ye because yer the best for the role. It would be a shame to settle for second best aye?” He reached into his pocket and placed a business card onto the tray.

   “If ye happen to change yer mind, give us a visit? Take some time and think about it.” With that, he released her wrist and backed away towards Thorin. Billa could hear him talking to Thorin in hushed whispers, but Thorin didn’t seem answer him. She couldn’t bring herself to even care about him as she lifted the tray, dismissing them as she walked to the back room.

   There was a low murmur of voices, arguing back and forth before they stopped all together. Billa could hear the slow footsteps leading towards the front door and the opening and closing tinkle from the windchime when they left. It was only then that she could lean against the sink with her eyes closed and body slumped, breathing in a deep breath before releasing it with a long sigh. She lifted her heavy eyelids as she glanced at the business card on the tray. “Oakenshield and Co.” it stated on one side. She flipped it around and the address and phone number was on the back. With a grunt of anger, she flicked the card away from her, letting it glide along the tabletop before it bounced off the wall and settled.

   She didn’t even see where it landed because she was already marching out of the room, straight for the front door with a murderous look in her eyes.

   “I swear I will make it my life goal to never hear windchimes ever again.”


	4. Lantern in the Storm

          "I mean, it's crazy right? I'm crazy.... No, _he's_ crazy." Billa was sitting on her stool, clipping off the ends of flower stems with more gusto than usual. Most of the ends flew around her, completely missing the garbage bin in front. Primula sat beside her, gathering the freshly cut flowers and placing them into buckets with clean water. She casted a worried look beside her, watching Billa frown and mumble underneath her breath.

     "How can Gandalf put this on me? That man hasn't seen me in years and all of a sudden it's all, 'Oh Billa, by the way, I told this film company that you're going to be the lead of this film that's the blood child of the Durinson family. You're totally fine with that right?' Am I fine with that? _Am I fine with that?_ He's CRAZY!" She flung her hands in the air, flinging water and other greenery around--then slowly hunched over, shoulders slumped.

     Primula tentatively reached out and soothingly rubbed her back until Billa peeked up beneath her loosened strands of hair. "Or am I crazy for thinking I might actually take his offer. Oh Prim, tell me I'm crazy..." Primula couldn't help but smile with sympathy at her sad doe eyes, looking at her in defeat.

     "No Billa, I don't think it's _crazy._ Think of another word would you? This Mr.Stormcrow does have a point. You have more than enough resources saved up to keep this shop running-- Uh uh uh, no interrupting," Primula cut in as Billa opened her mouth to respond.

     "I've seen your accounting books, saw the ledgers, saw the financial outline for this year. Everything is planned right down to the dot so that's not an excuse. Drogo told me how you loved acting when you were younger. He’s told me how great you were when reading his bedtime stories, acting out each part with voice and all. And those times during drama classes, and oh! The theatre club in university! Don’t even try to lie about not liking to act!”

     Billa held her gaze, looking at her with pouting lips. "Yes I did... I do," she eventually admitted.

     "Well then the choice is easy isn't it? Take the job!" Primula grinned encouragingly at her, face lighting up.

     "What about the consequences? The whole thing being not covered if there's legal action? I'm putting this shop in risk!" Billa whined, her hands wringing her favourite stem clippers.

     "But what if nothing of that sorts happen? This will be your first gig, your first movie and most of all, with Thorin freaking Durinson!"

     Billa snorted, her face immediately changed from worried to an ugly disgusted face. "Who cares about Thorin Durinson? He's an arrogant asshole. A snotty, stuck up, breaker of mugs and dreams asshole." She glanced at the poor substitute of her favourite mug on the counter nearby.

    "Well luckily I don't have this bias against him so I can think clearly for you. I’m sure he’s not that bad, and he must have felt guilty if he offered to pay for the mug. He didn’t know the significance right?” Primula raised an eyebrow.

     Billa rolled her eyes and grabbed a bunch of flowers to cut, this time in her normal fashion. Magically every single clipping found its place in the bin. “No he didn’t, but a normal human being would apologize first, not,” she straightened back and tilted her chin down while frowning, eyebrows drawn together. “How much did your mug cost, I’m Thorin Durinson, Mr.Bigshot with a mansion somewhere upstate and 10 different expensive cars. I wipe my ass with bills and you can take some of this money to pay for your mug,” she kept her straight face as Primula laughed up a storm.

     “Oh….I’ve got to meet this guy to see if your portrayal of him is accurate. I mean look at that, prime acting skills right there,” Primula wiped the edges of her eyes, careful not to smudge her eyeliner.

     “You’ll meet him one day, I’m sure of it,” Billa grinned.

     “One day? That means you’ll take the job?” Primula nudged Billa lightly.

     Her grin faltered, eyes drifted to the side as she looked around her store.  She lifted her hands and gestured in front of her. "But can I really risk all of this? Prim, this was everything my parents had. They had worked their whole lives here, built it up and entrusted it to me. Now this is _my_ everything. If I lose this shop, I don't know what I'll do."

     Primula took her hands and held them gently, pulling Billa's attention back to her. "It's a big risk, I know. But Billa, you can't live your life like this. Your parents worked their lives here because it was their passion. I can tell this is your hobby, not your passion. Tell me  I'm wrong right now and I'll stop trying to convince you," Primula said.

     Billa opened her mouth, sure that she was going to prove her wrong. But… She couldn’t bring herself to. She narrowed her eyes at Primula, but with smile on her face. “Oh you charmer you. Drogo didn’t stand a chance.”

     Primula grinned widely and launched at her with a hug. Billa laughed, happily returning the embrace. Suddenly, it was as if she could breath again- like her chest had been released from some unknown restraint. But she could feel a newly lit flame in her stomach. It's been a very, _very_ long time since she felt this way.

     "Well, what do you have to do? You have to call them don't you?" Primula held her within an arm's length away, looking over her with furrowed brows.

     "Oh sweetie, it should be me who's in a nervous and concern mess, not you. Yes, I guess I'll have to call them. Where was that card...."

     A timid phone call and many hugs and well wishes from Primula later, Billa was in a taxi going to Oakenshield and Co. Balin was ecstatic when she called. He was adamant that she came over right away and no, he didn't care if she was covered with leaves and twigs despite Billa's complaint.

     The office was in the heart of the city, among the busy streets and businesses. In her mind, the office was in one of those luxurious buildings. You know, the ones that are a hundred floors up, glass from top to bottom. Imagine her surprise when the taxi turned into a quieter street and pulled up beside an older looking building. It was a single building with two floors, with modest glass planes and weather battered brick walls. It wasn't bad, though Billa had to admit it wasn't what she imagined in her movie star fantasy.

     She paid and thanked the driver before wandering up to the door. She paused at steps, looking around for the doorbell when the door flew open by itself and revealed the tall and imposing figure of Dwalin.

     Turns out Billa was right, those tattoos did travel up her arms. Dwalin peered down her nose at Billa, narrowing her eyes. Billa casted a feeble smile up and Dwalin grunted and walked down the hallway. Billa stood by the door, looking left and right at the empty hallways before back to Dwalin’s retreating figure.

     “Come on!” Dwalin said and Billa jolted into action, scurrying down the hallway to catch up with her. They stopped in front of a closed door with a gleaming plaque saying “Balin Fundison”. Dwalin thumped the door once and opened the door, pushing Billa in.

     Balin sat at the desk, scribbling furiously at some paper but he took a second to peer up at her.

     “Ah, Miss Baggins. I am delighted yer here! Please, sit. Let me just finish up--” and he resumed his scribbling. Billa glanced behind her to see no sign of Dwalin. She didn’t even hear her leaving. Making herself comfortable in the chair, she took the time to observe her surroundings.

     It was a neat little office, very minimalistic but comforting. A bookcase to the left, a cabinet to the right. The only interesting artifact in the room was on his desk where a picture frame of badly drawn stick people sat beside the computer.

     “Ah my apologies my dear. Ye canna ignore some paper work no matter how hard ye try. Now..” Balin took his glasses off and hooked them on the front of his shirt. “Hold out yer hands.”

     Billa tilted her head slightly before slowly raising her hands up. Balin pulled out a familiar folder and handed it to her before pulling out the pen from behind his ear.

     "I trust ye remember what's in this folder? Sign all the pages with the X, " he said.

     Billa nodded, opening the folder and started signing away. When she was sure all the pages were done, she handed the folder back to him. It was odd, this dropping feeling in her stomach as she watched him tuck away the folder in one of his cabinets.

     "Now then with that done an’ over with." Balin seemed to pull out a large binder from nowhere and dropped it right in front of her.

     “Here is yer life for the next couple of months. This is one of the furiously guarded copies of our movie. Read it from front to back, memorize it, breathe it and guard it with yer life. These are my expectations, is that clear?”

     Her shoulders suddenly felt heavy, but Billa nodded and Balin nodded back, satisfied.

     “We won’t be doing much today since ye havna had any preparation. But I will give ye a tour of our office, get you familiarized with yer second home.”

     “That sounds great,” she said, standing up when he stood. She clutched the binder to her chest as she followed him like a duckling follows her mother as he weaved through the hallways.

     “This is the writing room, dun mind the mess. Ori is usually buried in stacks of paper.” Billa scanned the messy room looking for the beanie wearing girl buried in a corner, but all was still.

     Balin was already on the move, shouting behind him. "This is the sound stage, nothing really to see there at the moment. It's good to know though. And here is where Nori works his magic..."

     Billa followed him to the costume workshop, the lounge, the kitchen. The building was actually quite nice, everything was updated and modern. As they were leaving the kitchen, she saw Kili making his way down the hallway towards them. She almost didn't recognize him with his hair down instead of in a bun, but his ear-splitting smile gave him away.

     "Miss Boggins!" he said, arms open ready to hug her.

     "It's Baggins Kili.." Billa heard Balin say with a sigh before she was enveloped into his arms.

     "Right, Baggins! I'm super excited you're here. I mean after everything that happened at your store. I mean Uncle is a piece of work isn't her? Being a dick and breaking your c- " Kili let go with a yelp, nursing his side while sending big sad eyes towards Balin who appeared next to him during the hug.

     "What can we help ye with Kili?" Balin said, ignoring Kili's pouting lips.

     Kili immediately stopped his wounded look and straightened up.

     "Em well... Dwalin came into the practice room with Gandalf in tow, telling us that Miss Baggins came into the building. Gandalf sent me to bring Miss Baggins to the room for uh-" he rubbed his neck and looked to the side. " For a chemistry test?"

     Billa swallowed, clutching the binder she's been lugging around tighter to her chest. Balin looked at Kili with pursed lips, before turning to Billa. He hummed, before shaking his head.

     "She hasna even looked over the script, let alone know the full story yet. Why not wait a day or two before we do the test?" Balin said, and Billa could have hugged him right then and there.

     But Kili shook his head, strands whipping around. " No can do, Gandalf seemed adamant and Thorin even more so than him. He seemed determined to.... Test Miss Baggins," Kili said, sending her a sympathetic smile.

     Billa gaped at Kili, feeling the spark of anger at the challenge. That douche wanted to see her fail didn't he? " Lead the way Kili!"

     Kili’s eyes widened and soon his signature grin followed along. “Right away Miss Baggins!”

     The trio walked down a couple of halls, made some turns before stopping at an open door. Billa immediately felt eyes on her the moment she stepped into the room. She politely smiled, nodding at Dwalin, Thorin and Gandalf respectively.

     “I heard you wanted a run through? Which scene will it be?” She sat herself down on an empty chair while letting the binder fall to the table with a heavy thud.

     Both Thorin and Dwalin carefully kept their expressions blank, whereas Gandalf pounded the ground with his cane animatedly.

     “Ah Billa, very happy to see you here! I’m terribly sorry, but it’s important to have an early trial to see if everyone works well together. I’m sure you understand. The leading couple’s relationship can make or break the movie! I have full confidence that you will do splendidly.”

     Billa nodded firmly in agreement, even if she had to clasp her hands under the table to stop the trembling.

     “Page 60, scene 2,” Thorin said, while opening his own binder.

     “My apologies, give me a few minutes to study the scene. Unfortunately I never had the _time_ to read a page of this script,” Billa said while glaring at Thorin, daring him to oppose.

     He waved his hand without looking up at her. Billa clenched her jaw.

     She flipped to the correct page and started reading. A pencil was handed to her by someone and she took it without thought. It seemed like this was one of the emotional points between her character and Thorin’s, some sort of argument. It was perfect actually, given her pent up anger towards the man.

     She scribbled all over the margins, making comments, underlining, indicating breaks in between words. Her old habits kicking in, she worked the script to her will, like her old theatre days. It wasn’t a very long scene, but brimming with importance. Only a few pages, but she felt drawn to the scene immediately. No wonder they picked this to be the test, it had everything needed to test her abilities. She couldn't help herself and flipped a couple of pages before, speed reading to get a bigger picture of the relationship between them.

     “Are you quite ready yet Miss Baggins, or do you need more _time_ ,”

     “Thorin…” Balin warned.

     Thorin didn’t reply, but started tapping his pencil on the table in a steady rhythm.

     Billa took a minute, muttering under her breath with eyes closed, running the lines over in her mind. Her memory was still fine right? Maybe it was a little rusty but she always prided in her ability to accept changes. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, chair scraping the floor and she felt like the ball was in her court for the first time since she met these people.

     “When you’re ready Mr. Durinson.” She moved from her spot to the open space beyond the table. Thorin slowly stood up, taking his time to button up his suit jacket before strolling to join her. She scanned his face, looking for any signs of nervousness. Then again, who was she kidding?

     Kili pulled a chair to join Balin, who took Thorin’s empty seat. Balin took his glasses from his pocket, placing them so they balanced on the tip of his nose. He cleared his throat while turning to the scene.

     “Are we all ready?”

     Thorin grunted while Billa nodded.

     “Outside the farm house, night. The rain is coming down hard, the wind whipping. The only light is from the periodic lightning and the small lantern Isaac is holding.”

     As much as Billa would hate to admit, Thorin Durinson was a totally different creature when he slips into a character. It was the small changes she noticed right away when she had the chance to be staring unabashedly at his face. The way the lines of his body pulled tight, his face morphing. He transformed from this expressionless mask to a man of many colours and edges. Her breath caught as he looked into her eyes, dark and malicious as the storm in the scene.

     “-- what you could have done, what damage you could have caused?” She missed the first couple of words in his line.

     “I haven’t done anything wrong,” Billa said, her voice quiet as she warmed up.

     “You foolish child! Those beasts could have killed you! Trampled over you as easily as dried leaves. They wouldn’t care if something stood in their way, with fear clouding their heads. Who do you think you are?”

     “But I-”

     “This isn’t your fantasy, where you can waltz in here and pretend everything will go your way. You know nothing of this world. This is my life, my whole being is invested into this land, these crops, these animals. I have built this up with my hands and blood. One wrong move and everything goes up in flames, and where would we be?” He crowded her senses, his frame towering over her almost like he wanted to cage her with his body. She could count the sun-kissed freckles on his face if she wanted to.

     “I will not go back to those days, where bread was a luxury and water was the only available resource. I refuse to watch Samuel cry every morning because of his hollow stomach. Or listen to Jenny’s muffled sobbing in the middle of the night when she thought nobody could hear her.”

     His hands grabbed her shoulders, digging into them.

     “I will not watch another person I love die because of me.”

     Billa stood still in his grip, finding her vision blurring. She felt it, the first tingle that raised goosebumps on her skin and shivers down her back. She fell hard into Eliza’s life, officially accepting Eliza as her own.

     “I know exactly what I have been doing.” She hissed out thickly.

     “Jenny has taught me her routine, her paperwork and farm work. Samuel has been teaching me about the animals and how to take care of them properly. I know those animals as well as you. If I didn’t go out there, your livestock would have ran into your crops and destroyed everything.” Billa stepped forward, body coming closer to his. She stabbed her finger into his chest and found solid muscle. She barely registered Thorin’s mask faltering, surprise showing through. All she felt was the heat rising like lava, swelling up towards the mountain’s mouth.

     “Do not tell me I know nothing of your world, for I have lived in it for months. Never have you seen the people who are there to support you, growing life in your barren land. You see them as they were before, as children who were helpless and unable to do anything. But they have grown Isaac, into responsible adults who are battling beside you.”

     Thorin made a disapproving noise but she carried on.

     “Have you ever noticed your brother wanting to leave school to help you? He’s willing to give up his education for you!  I bet you never gave a second thought when he comes home early on certain days or says his school had a day off.”

     “You have no right to speak to me of him like this!” Thorin roared.

     “How about your sister?” she continued, voice rising to match his. “She stays up into the late night, picking up the pieces. She is the glue that keeps this whole household running. Have you ever looked into her eyes when she smiles? Because if you had, you could see that her smile was just a front to cover her worry for you.” Breaths short and fast, she found her lips trembling.

     “And what about me? The _woman_ who has raised to every challenge. Who kept coming back no matter whatever discouragement you threw at me. Who helped Jenny mend your ripped jacket, who helped Samuel to find the lost sheep.”

      She felt Thorin’s grip slacken, only holding her now.

     “Maybe I haven’t suffered through your misfortunes of hunger, and for that my heart shatters to know of your history. But I have lost people to the unforgiving hands of death.”

     She felt his breath across her face, heaving as his head tilted down, his eyes falling down to her lips. He looked almost dazed. Her eyes also fell to his lips.

     She licked her dry lips.

     “Do not tell me I know of nothing of your world-- For you do not know anything about mine.”

     His eyes shot back up, locking her to his gaze. It was only now she realized he was holding her hand that was poking his chest. It really was unfair how mesmerizing his eyes were.

     “Eliza turns away from Isaac, storming out of frame, leaving Isaac in the middle,” Balin said, rudely piercing the bubble of silence.

     Thorin dropped her hand as if it scalded him and stepped back with furrowed brows. She clasped her hands together, trying to remember how to breath normally. Kili whooped and shot out of his chair towards Billa. There was a polite amount of clapping from the audience.

     “Holy shit Baggins! No experience my ass!” She laughed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the tension draining from her.

     “Well done Miss Baggins! Just as I expected!” Gandalf cheerfully agreed, his eyes twinkling.  “Well Balin, what do you say?”

     Balin finished scribbling on the script and peered out from his glasses. He waited for everyone to give their full attention to him. “Aye, she fits perfectly. I think we definitely got a shot now.” He gave her a warm smile.

     She grinned back at him and another weight lifted off her shoulders. Not that it did anything physically as she was trying to push Kili off her. The kid spouted words sewn together so quickly it was incomprehensible. Even Dwalin who constantly seemed angry had an amused look on her face. As she finally looked at Thorin, she caught him staring at her, still frowning with his arms crossed. She raised her head up high, giving him the best confident smile she could muster and his face darkened even more.

     “Balin, a word please,” he said, motioning to the hallway. Balin tucked his glasses away and joined Thorin outside. Billa dropped her smile, staring at the door, hearing of the rise and fall of tones.

     “Just you wait until we do the script read- through, it’ll be such a blast. I know Fili was excited that you agreed to the role, and of course after what I saw, she’ll be over the moon!” Kili beamed at her, not caring for the unresponsiveness.

     “It’s not only Fili who was elated, many of the crew was too,” Gandalf chimed in.

     There was a muffled thud against the wall outside and she strained to hear anything else. But Balin appeared at the doorway suddenly, a little troubled, but the lines melted away as he saw she was looking at him. Thorin appeared a second behind, but stayed at the door.

     “Dwalin!” He barked, and the woman stood up immediately from her chair and walked towards him. Thorin glared past her to meet Billa’s stare, that cold expression once firmly on his face again. Like ice down her back, Billa struggled to keep from squirming. Her mother always said she didn't know when to stop poking a bear.

     “Study the script and I’ll kindly remind you of your duty Miss Baggins. There is no room for errors,” he said and disappeared from the door with Dwalin hot on his heels.

     Billa gaped at the empty door. Scratch any compliment she ever gave that infuriating man. “Is everything okay?” she demanded.

     “Aye, nothing to fret about. Take some time to familiarize yerself with the script Billa, I believe we’ll have the read-through in the next couple of days. Yoo’ll get to meet the whole cast and crew again.” Balin said.

     Billa nodded, mustering a small smile back at him. She glanced back at the empty doorway, unable to shake the feeling that something was missing; something significant had just happened. But she hadn’t the slightest clue what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha haa.... WELL HELLO THERE. Somehow 2 years has passed and everything has changed. I bet you couldn't even recognize the title of the story when it popped up in your notifications. Are you people still in the fandom?
> 
> Well anyways, long story short, I'm tentatively back? I probably won't be updating every week or something, but I think it's safe to say it won't take another 2 years for another update. I hope everything is going well with your lives and i'll see you guys soon!
> 
> I posted a visual header for this chapter on tumblr, take a look at my crudely drawn kid's drawing. Keep in touch with me here! [ teepuny.tumblr.com ](http://teepuny.tumblr.com/tagged/my%20fic:%20CN)


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